Caron Butler to miss Knicks game with left knee injury

Caron Butler has ruled himself out of tonight's game against the New York Knicks because of swelling in his left knee. He sat with his left knee wrapped in ice at the morning walk-through on Wednesday but said that he hopes to be available on Friday against Orlando.

The Wizards have not made plans for Butler to have an MRI, but will monitor his knee closely over the next few days. He was limited in practice on Tuesday and applied ice to his knees last night. But when he woke up on Wednesday morning, his knee had swollen. He is averaging 16.5 points and has missed two games this season.

Butler was injured near the end of the first half of the Wizards' 99-88 loss to the Boston Celtics on Monday. He made two free throws to give the Wizards a 54-48 lead with 0.9 of second remaining. Kevin Garnett then quickly inbounded the ball to Paul Pierce for a desperation heave. Butler slid in front of Pierce, who stepped on top of Butler's left foot then banged knees with him.

Both players crumpled in a heap and limped off the floor. Butler took some pain relief medication at halftime and returned to score 12 of his team-high 20 points in the third quarter, including a difficult 21-foot jumper over Boston's Brian Scalabrine with the shot clock winding down. But he slowed down in the final period after sitting for about two minutes. He went 0 for 4 with just two points in the fourth quarter.

Butler and Pierce did some damage to each other on Monday. Earlier in the first half, Butler tracked down Pierce and fell on Pierce's left foot. Pierce didn't play in the fourth quarter against the Wizards and there was speculation that Pierce had a broken foot. It was later revealed that he had a mid foot sprain and would return soon.

The interesting subplot of Pierce's injury is if it somehow keeps him out of the All-Star Game. Would it possibly open the door for Antawn Jamison? Probably not, with Atlanta's Josh Smith, New York's David Lee or Milwaukee's Andrew Bogut playing on teams with better records. But it's something to keep an eye on going forward.

Enough with the All-Star stuff already. Is Jamison putting up All-Star worthy numbers? Sure, he always does. But plenty of guys do who never make it. Jamison's got nothing to complain about. Besides, if an already selected starter or reserve can't play, a replacement would have to be named by David Stern. Does anyone really think he'd give an All-Star spot to a member of the team currently occupying the number 1 spot on his sh*t list?

It'll be interesting to see how the team plays without Butler tonight. I think at times Butler slows down the offense with his dribbling and spot-up jumpers. Who gets the start maybe RF, AJ, MM, NY and BH? Or do you start D-mac or AB instead of NY?

And if that one game were the entire season, that might mean something. But it's not and it doesn't. Perkins is better, stronger, more athletic, more skilled, and younger than Haywood.
Posted by: kalo_rama
------------------------------------------

I said it is pretty even in eyes of anyone without preset bias. (If anything, I would say 2.1 rebounding difference is probably more important than 1.8 point difference in scoring.)

As the rest of your opinions that Perkins is
a) better: NOT, see above stats
b) stronger: OK, but Haywood is taller (a wash)
c) more athletic and more skilled: NOT (go ask Celtics fans, they have the same complains about Perkins as we have Haywood here!)
d) younger: True, but what's your point? How is this has anything to do with what I said (i.e., Haywood can be a good supplemental player on a good team like Perkins is to Celtics)?

right, but here's the thing, in the last 6mins of the game (haywood re-entered with the score 84-82) BTH's stats were:

0-0fg, 0-0ft, 0pts, 0 rebs, 0blks, 0 assists

Posted by: divi3
-------------------------------------------

divi3,

I didn't say Haywood was great or anything, I just said Haywood is similar to Perkins.

In fact, the whole Wizards team didn't play well in the last 6 minutes. At least Haywood din't miss any shot, didn't turn the ball over (his teamates did serveral times in that span), and caused one turnover on Wallace.

BTW, what did Perkins do in the last 6 minutes of the game?

0-0fg, 0-0ft, 0pts, 0 rebs, 0blks, 0 assists. (He was not even in the game, he was replaced by Wallace.)

start NY for eff sake! Who cares if Miller plays 1sec or 48mins given it's an apparent foregone conclusion he's out the door.

Let's get Nick 10+ shots every single night and let him play through mistakes, getting the kid rolling is the single best thing that could happen to the prospects of this team other than Mcgee morphing into a legit presence

Really? In that case, please publish the empirical formula you used to calculate how additional height cancels out strength.

HA! What nonsense!

"c) more athletic and more skilled: NOT (go ask Celtics fans, they have the same complains about Perkins as we have Haywood here!)"

Jeff Van Gundy, Hubie Brown, Mark Jackson, and Doug Collins (all of whom have called many Celtics games over the last couple of years) think quite highly of Perkins' skills and his development. I think I'll take their words (and the evidence of my own eyes) over the opinions of a mass of faceless "Celtics fans."

"so you're saying a player sitting on the opponent's bench had the same impact our starting center did during the most critical 6mins of the game. Looks like we're in agreement BTH is kinda lousy then?"

With a little more than two weeks to go before the Feb. 18 trade deadline, the chatter is starting to pick up. Here’s the latest trade buzz culled from conversations with team executives, agents, and others in the know:

• It’s been well documented that the Cavaliers’ infatuation with Antawn Jamison has been rekindled. What’s been underplayed is the reason behind it: LeBron James is the one driving the team’s pursuit of Jamison, according to a source, and Cavs GM Danny Ferry – as usual – is trying to appease the King. A couple of problems: The Wizards want a young asset in return, and Zydrunas Ilgauskas – while a fit salary-wise – doesn’t fit that description. The sensible piece to include in the deal would be J.J. Hickson, whom the Cavs are reluctant to give up. But if the Cavs got Jamison, what value would Hickson be to them as their fifth big man? One scenario that is believed to be under discussion would have the Cavs hoping the Wizards bought out Ilgauskas after the trade, using some cash added to the deal by Cleveland. That way, the Cavs could sign Ilgauskas back on a minimum deal, giving them the player James covets (Jamison) and a 7-foot-4 insurance policy for Shaquille O’Neal. The Wizards would have to ask themselves if getting out from under Jamison’s contract and adding Hickson is enough to justify a deal that would get them under the tax next summer, but not under the cap.

• If the Cavs can’t get Jamison, Indiana’s Troy Murphy is Plan B. And yes, there’s a Plan C -- Andre Iguodala. Whereas the Cavs’ front office believes Jamison could help them win a championship this year, Iguodala would be more of a long-term solution. And he better be, with four years and $56 million left on his deal.

• One of Allen’s teammates also is generating some interest: Kendrick Perkins, who’d be a perfect fit for a team like the Pistons, who are desperate for a post presence. But Perkins only makes $4.3 million, and it’s difficult to imagine the Celtics parting with him given the way Kevin Garnett is gimping around.

• The Blazers’ interest in Wizards center Brendan Haywood is understandable, considering the catastrophic injuries to Greg Oden and Joel Pryzbilla. But an expiring contract – such as the one belonging to Travis Outlaw – won’t be enough to pique Washington’s interest. As with Jamison, the Wizards want useful assets in return. In this case, sources say, Washington has asked for Rudy Fernandez and has been strongly rebuffed. Consider those talks stalled for now, but don’t discount a revival before Feb. 18 for these reasons: 1) The Blazers’ desperate need for a big man, and 2) Their ability to get ownership approval to take on money in the right deal.

• Miami also has expressed interest in Haywood, but sources say that would require taking on money in the deal – something Heat president Pat Riley has been unwilling to entertain.

I hope we go with Blatche tonight starting in the frontcourt w/ Jamison at sf.

I do question why aren't we trying McGee at PF?? He's not seeing the court at center. Lacks the strength at this point to not get pushed around in the low post. Why not use his athleticism, length and shotblocking at PF, and his ability to throw down. I think he has the agility to play it and could be a force there difficult for opponents to match up with him, especially playing alongside Haywood.

Pistons are interested in a post up player and that player is Perkins...not Haywood.

When I listed my 20 players as good as or better than Haywood, I listed Perkins as basically the same.

Buckhantz: "and rondo strips the ball from Haywood." while Haywood had two hands on it above his head.

Haywood is fine...as a 2nd stringer (Heat)or on a team that doesn't need a good strong center (Blazers are winning with 59 yo Juwan Howard playing Center). As much beef as I give Haywood, he would probably be an improvement over Howard. If you want a strong Center (Pistons) you look elsewhere.

"I do question why aren't we trying McGee at PF?? He's not seeing the court at center. Lacks the strength at this point to not get pushed around in the low post."

The Knicks will be playing David Lee at center. I think it's pretty safe to say Mcgee is big enough to stand his ground inside and swat the crap out of any weak stuff thrown up there by the 6'9" players that are going to be running around tonight.

However it's also safe to say he won't play one second tonight, so whatevah

"The Knicks will be playing David Lee at center. I think it's pretty safe to say Mcgee is big enough to stand his ground inside and swat the crap out of any weak stuff thrown up there by the 6'9" players that are going to be running around tonight."

When was the last time McGee has shown himself to be strong enough to stand his ground against anyone inside? Doesn't matter how tall you are, it's tough to block shots when you're backed down so far under the paint your head is under the rim. Not that it matters, because Lee gets most of his points in the set offense off of mid-range jumpshots. All Lee has to do is bat his eyebrows like a hooker at a hotel bar and McGee will launch himself into orbit.

As I said, I've never said Haywood was great. All I said was, he is as good as Perkin, who didn't even got on to the court for the Celtics in the last 6 minutes (because Wallace, who played in his place, is better better).

No one said height can cancel out strength. Nor can strength cancels out height. "Wash" is to the overall rating, and not necessarily one cancels the other. And BTW, last I checked, Haywood, does have more rebounds than Perkins, so his height does help.

Yeah, and Hubie called Haywood the best defensive player on the team, while both Van Gundy and Doug Collins were impressed with Haywood when they called Wizards games. I guess you didn’t watch all the games after all!

"As I said, I've never said Haywood was great. All I said was, he is as good as Perkin, who didn't even got on to the court for the Celtics in the last 6 minutes (because Wallace, who played in his place, is better better).

Nevertheless, Perkins still starts for a contending team.

Posted by: sagaliba"

I think Haywood stinks in some very critical ways, and now that the team is a disaster I enjoy pointing them out. Is he better or worse than Perkins? I dont know, but he sure doesnt have the benefit of being alongside KG thats for sure

You, on the other hand, argued that Perkins is better, who didn't even get off the bench! LOL!

Posted by: sagaliba | February 3, 2010 5:33 PM | Report abuse
you are soooooo wrong. I hardly ever jump on kal's side, as he rarely needs help from anyone to prove his point, but come on son! We'd have to give up BTH and pick or young player to get Perk outta boston. He's a cornerstone of their frontcourt and a real presence on both ends. the fact that doc preferred Sheed's ft shooting touch in a "close" game down the stretch is no indictment of perkins the player. Sheed shoots 80% from the line perk hits 59%. if the game came down to it the hack a perk coulda hurt them.

Oh BTW, about watching the games, both of us watched the same games, and we have difference of opinions. The only difference is, mine is backed up by stats, and yours backed only by ... (fill your own words here, stubbornness?) :)

It would be nice if the Wizards made the playoffs. However, they won't because they are a lottery team. It's ok, because hopefully they can get a good player in the draft. Often I wonder why certain players don't get more run on this team. But then I realize why. The NBA is "watered down," with 30 teams and the talent evaluators and coaches know most of these players wouldn't be in the NBA anyway if there were less teams, so there is no use in playing them. Two examples unfortunately would be Young who runs around like a damn duck taking ridiculous shots and Mcgee a tall lanky weakling that's clueless. But on the bright side, Mcgee would be great as a Harlem Globetrotter and Young has the potential to be an allstar...in the D league.

To say nothing of Chris Webber, Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith, Jalen Rose, Jamal Mashburn, and Tim Legler, all of whom have also given positive reviews to Perkins development. But I'm sure the guy sitting in seat 47 D of the upper deck of TD Bankworth Garden knows more than all of those guys, right?

"Yeah, and Hubie called Haywood the best defensive player on the team"

The best defensive player one of the worst defensive team in the league versus the best low post player on a recent NBA champion and current contender. Hmmm . . . I wonder which counts as the higher praise. So hard to say . . .

Yeah, they're tall. Big whoop. (A) Neither of them has anything resembling the kind of offensive game Lee has. (B) They're both about as scrawny as McGee, where as Lee is built like bulldozer. (C) Looking at a stat sheet does nothing to tell you whose shots McGee blocked. Swatting shots by driving guards does nothing to dispute McGee's inability to hold his ground against strong post players (something that neither Thompson or Hawes is).

And I never said they should leave McGee on the bench, did I/ I simply said that playing him isn't likely to result in Lee being shut down. And it won't.